Epica The Phantom Agony
Transmission Records/The End Records TM-3036 - 2004
By Rodrigo Escandon
The Phantom Agony is the debut album from Epica, a band formed by ex-After Forever guitarist Mark Jensen. That statement alone should let you know what kind of music Epica play. Obvious comparisons to After Forever notwithstanding, the music - to put it simply - is operatic symphonic metal, fronted by the enchanting femal singer Simone Simons.
So what, if anything, distinguishes Epica from similar groups? There are two distinct elements that I believe set this band apart from the rest. The first would their heavy reliance on orchestral arrangements. The orchestra used for this recording consists of violins, violas, cellos and a contrabass. While there are the traditional metal instruments, the most memorable hooks and melodies are courtesy of this orchestra. For example, right at 3:04 of Sensorium there is an excellent melody driven by the violins, followed by the choir and then a piano line. Throughout this part you can barely hear a guitar. On the title track The Phantom Agony at 1:15 we are introduced to an excellent recurring melody, also driven by the orchestra. It is pretty awesome and epic when the guitars and drums join in 30 seconds afterwards. All this does not mean that you will not hear any guitars in this album - Façade of Reality and Seif al Din should calm any of those fears.
The second thing that makes The Phantom Agony distinguishable is the singing of Simone Simons. At only 19 years old, Simone already has an amazing soprano voice. Her singing is commanding, enchanting and angelic, and she really has impressed me with her performance. Already I consider her one of the better female singers in this type of music, and if she continues to improve and work on her voice she will have a bright future. But I am not the only one who has realized this because apparently the band also took notice - this type of music usually has a male growler to complete the female. You will hear some growls from Mark but they are very few and it essentially makes this Simones show, as it should be.
Now this being a debut album there are bound to be some flaws, and the main one would be is that the sound is a little thin and flat. While I praise the heavy use of the orchestra, I do think that at times the guitars get buried in the mix, and it would have been better if they were just a tad louder in some parts. Another flaw is that during Façade of Reality there is a narration about terrorism being the new evil and so on. Never having been a big fan of narration in albums anyway, I felt that the subject matter was out of place in a classical sounding album. With this music I relate the lyrics to more traditional classical elements, not something current. But that is just one persons opinion.
Overall, I think that Epica have some big strengths that they can build upon for future albums, and they could definitely be a band to look out for.
8/10
Epica Official Website
The End Records Official Website
Transmission Records/The End Records TM-3036 - 2004
By Rodrigo Escandon
The Phantom Agony is the debut album from Epica, a band formed by ex-After Forever guitarist Mark Jensen. That statement alone should let you know what kind of music Epica play. Obvious comparisons to After Forever notwithstanding, the music - to put it simply - is operatic symphonic metal, fronted by the enchanting femal singer Simone Simons.
So what, if anything, distinguishes Epica from similar groups? There are two distinct elements that I believe set this band apart from the rest. The first would their heavy reliance on orchestral arrangements. The orchestra used for this recording consists of violins, violas, cellos and a contrabass. While there are the traditional metal instruments, the most memorable hooks and melodies are courtesy of this orchestra. For example, right at 3:04 of Sensorium there is an excellent melody driven by the violins, followed by the choir and then a piano line. Throughout this part you can barely hear a guitar. On the title track The Phantom Agony at 1:15 we are introduced to an excellent recurring melody, also driven by the orchestra. It is pretty awesome and epic when the guitars and drums join in 30 seconds afterwards. All this does not mean that you will not hear any guitars in this album - Façade of Reality and Seif al Din should calm any of those fears.
The second thing that makes The Phantom Agony distinguishable is the singing of Simone Simons. At only 19 years old, Simone already has an amazing soprano voice. Her singing is commanding, enchanting and angelic, and she really has impressed me with her performance. Already I consider her one of the better female singers in this type of music, and if she continues to improve and work on her voice she will have a bright future. But I am not the only one who has realized this because apparently the band also took notice - this type of music usually has a male growler to complete the female. You will hear some growls from Mark but they are very few and it essentially makes this Simones show, as it should be.
Now this being a debut album there are bound to be some flaws, and the main one would be is that the sound is a little thin and flat. While I praise the heavy use of the orchestra, I do think that at times the guitars get buried in the mix, and it would have been better if they were just a tad louder in some parts. Another flaw is that during Façade of Reality there is a narration about terrorism being the new evil and so on. Never having been a big fan of narration in albums anyway, I felt that the subject matter was out of place in a classical sounding album. With this music I relate the lyrics to more traditional classical elements, not something current. But that is just one persons opinion.
Overall, I think that Epica have some big strengths that they can build upon for future albums, and they could definitely be a band to look out for.
8/10
Epica Official Website
The End Records Official Website
